to be upset with the woman with dog in a playground

I was walking my dog at a local area that has a popular playground. It has a strong swing gate in it that has a very obvious sign that quite clearly states no dog by way of a nice little picture of a dog with a red line through it. At least, I thought that the sign made it obvious. I saw a woman with her kid and her dog in the playground whenI drove past to park. As they were still in there 15mins later (with said dog off his lead and running about on, and jumping on and off,some of the play equipment that has a platform on) I approached her and advised her she shouldn't have the dog in there. I've got 2 DD and I often don't take them in there as there is dog poo in there. They were the only ones in there and she was insistent it was ok as she had bags with her. I pointed out this wasn't good enough and if it said no dogs, it means no dogs whether they've pooed in there or not. If we know we're going to the playground, my dog stays at home. If it's been spontaneous, he gets tied up to the railings on the outside of the park.She didn't like this pointed out and seemed to feel I was being unreasonable. Thoughts?

YABU because at that point it was not affecting you. If you had been in the playground with children and she brought her dog in then I think you would have been within your rightsto say something. But saying it because you were passing just makes you look like a busybody.

I think YANBU. Just because she was the only one in there at the time doesn't mean other people who might have wanted to go in wouldn't be put off. My 5 year old is very wary of dogs and would have been frightened by a dog jumping up on things. If we had been planning on going in he would have been scared and would not have wanted to go in. The playground is there for children NOT dogs and she was being unreasonable.

No dogs means no dogs regardless of who is in there. I know a few children who would not have gone in there if they had seen a dog in there and in my experience people don't remove their dogs from playgrounds when others arrive.

YADNBU! Cant believe anyone else would say otherwise. With a young DS I'm so grateful that play grounds/areas ban dogs so I know he can run around happily to his hearts content and not worry if he falls/stumbles in grass etc. I am disgusted that some people think rules don't apply to them and they still take their dogs into this area. I also would've said something.

There'd still be trace faeces left over if the dog did poo. Just read up on toxocariasis= The worms produce eggs, which are released in the faeces of infected animals and contaminate soil.Once the eggs are passed into sand or soil, they can survive for many months. Humans can become infected if contaminated soil gets into their mouth.

Yanbu, a dog free zone is a dog free zone. I think it was good of you to say something even though it wasn't directlY affecting you at the time, to just think 'ah well not my problem' smacks of the old 'I'm alright Jack' attitude which I can't abide.

If she's twat enough to take her dog into the playground when it's blindingly obvious that she shouldn't, then she's twat enough not to remove her dog the second another child entered the playground, or to properly clean up after her dog. Yanbu.

Thanks for all the replies. I really didn't want to be confrontational about it with her, but her attitude was immediately defensive I found myself getting really annoyed with her. We ended up having a heated discussion on it and it's been on my mind since.

Well, you do have a point but I think it's a bit strange that you made a special trip to an otherwise empty playground (without your kids) to tell this woman she shouldn't have her dogs in there. It strikes me a bit as 'borrowing trouble'.

Sorry I maybe didn't make it clear. I saw her in there with her kid and dogas i drove past to park up and go for a walk with my kiddie and dog. I didn't say anything thinking she probably wouldn't be in there long but seeing as she was still there with it 15 mins later and I had to drive past again, I stopped the car and got out to talk to her. I was initially feeling that as she was the only one in there, that it was probably not a real issue, but to still be there 15mins later with the dog all over the equipment made me change my mind. We didn't have time to stop at the playground that day, but we often do. Sometimes I've had to pick up poo that's in there before my kids can play. Sometimes I can't face it after clearing up after my own dog that we turn around and go somewhere else.I'm sure she was telling the truth that she had bags with her but it's often hard to get every trace of it off and I thought that was the reason for no dogs?